RAMAPO – Rockland Community College will offer in-state tuition to students displaced by Hurricanes Maria and Irma following a vote last night by the College’s Board of Trustees. Residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be eligible to apply for the lower tuition rate.

The unanimous decision mirrors action taken by the SUNY trustees in the wake of the destructive September hurricanes. That vote covered SUNY’s four-year universities; officials also urged community colleges to implement similar policies.

“We make it a priority at Rockland Community College to help students stay in school despite difficult personal circumstances,” said Dr. Michael A. Baston, RCC President. “Assisting students affected by these devastating storms clearly fits within that mission.”

Full-time students qualifying under the new policy will pay the in-state tuition of $2,293 per semester for the 2017-18 academic year. Tuition for out-of-state students is normally twice the in-state rate.

The RCC community is working hard to aid in the relief effort for Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. A task force of faculty, staff and students helped organize an initial shipment of donations to the island in October. The group is continuing to collect non-perishable food and other items for a second shipment scheduled for mid-December.